


We've No Place to Go

by teeandrainbows



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Airports, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Budding Love, Captain Swan Secret Santa 2019 (Once Upon a Time), Christmas, Enemies to Friends, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, No Curse No Magic, Not Canon Compliant, captainswansecretsanta, csss2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:35:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21962200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teeandrainbows/pseuds/teeandrainbows
Summary: While making a last minute trip to Storybrooke for Christmas, Emma and Henry come across a number of problems... including one very attractive traveler.
Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan
Comments: 4
Kudos: 49
Collections: CSSECRETSANTA2k19





	We've No Place to Go

**Author's Note:**

> Surprise @andiirivera on tumblr, I'm your CS Secret Santa this year! It's been so nice getting to know you this December. You mentioned you like friends to lovers and enemies to lovers, so I did my best to try and fit that in here, with a side helping of airport shenanigans!
> 
> I hope you enjoy! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

An announcement rang out over the hustle and bustle of Christmas Eve travelers, about a gate change, or a boarding call, or something. Emma wasn’t listening, though. She drew her coat around her, side-eyeing the cutesie couple debating over which neck pillow would be the comfiest on the plane. When they finally made a decision, there was a kiss, and she turned away, rolling her eyes. Some people were far too liberal with the PDA, she thought. Finally, she approached the counter to buy two bottles of water and a package of melotonin.

When she was turning around with her bag, ready to go find somewhere to sit, she heard a call from behind her.

“Mom!” Emma turned her head slightly, seeing Henry come to a stop next to her. “I got Starbucks. Two hot chocolates,” he announced, holding up the cups. Some parents would be terrified to let their kid go buy things on their own. Not Emma. She trusted Henry. It helped that Starbucks was literally within eyesight.

“Thanks, kid,” she said, nodding in the direction of their gate. “Let’s go find a spot. Near an outlet, if you can find one.”

Henry nodded and started walking ahead of her with his backpack while Emma wrestled with her carry-on bag (thank goodness it was on wheels) and the bag from the shop. It had been a last-minute decision for her and Henry to go to Storybrooke for Christmas, after her parents had called her the day before Christmas. She didn’t mind it, though. Seattle was too busy over the holidays, anyway. Henry would be happy to see his friends, grandparents, and she would get to spend some time with some of her friends too. It was really a win-win situation.

The only issue was that she was now stuck with a Christmas Eve flight with an overly excited ten-year-old and an airport that was far too crowded for the holidays. Going through security had been bad enough when a jerk wearing far too much leather had pushed past to be ahead of them in line, and then her shoes had set off the metal detector.

Joy.

They finally managed to find a spot to sit near the window, and Emma was delighted to see an outlet on the wall next to them. While Henry got out one of his games (she had to grin at that, since the newest handheld console was in a box in her checked suitcase), she plugged in her laptop and opened it up, checking her emails. Henry glanced over at her screen and tsk’ed at her.

“Mo-om, you shouldn’t be doing work. It’s Christmas Eve,” he admonished her. Emma jokingly rolled her eyes. He had a point, though.

“Alright, kiddo.” She closed her laptop and picked up her hot chocolate, taking a sip. “Mmm, delicious.”

“No cinnamon, though. They ran out,” Henry commented, not looking up from his game this time.

Emma shrugged. “Your grandparents will have some ready for us when we arrive,” she replied. Then she pulled out her phone and earbuds, putting them in and turning on music. They still had a good hour until boarding started for their flight. She had been paranoid in getting to the airport early, but at least now they could relax.

She absently noticed a man sitting down across the row, instead bobbing her head gently to the music while she nibbled on a chocolate bar. Then Henry was poking her arm.

“Mom. Mom.”

“What?” she asked, taking out one earbud.

“They just announced our flight is delayed half an hour.”

Emma sat up, groaning. “Seriously?” she asked, tucking her hair behind her ears and standing up. “Stay here,” she instructed Henry. He nodded and went back to his game while she went to the counter.

“What happened?” she asked the yawning agent.

“Just a normal delay, nothing to worry about,” he replied, in a monotone voice that told Emma he was dreading having to repeat himself for the unforeseeable future. While there was something fishy about the way he said it, almost elusively, she let out a sigh, tugging her coat around her again and heading back to Henry.

“It’s snowing, now,” the boy informed her, pointing out the window. Emma glanced over. Sure enough, flakes of snow were falling, slowly but surely. She swallowed and pulled out her phone again, checking the weather app.

“Did you know there was a blizzard warning?” she asked, her voice terse.

“No, why?” he asked, straightening up from his seat.

Emma didn’t respond, but instead turned her screen so he could see the big red banner across the top.

“Oh.”

“Yeah. But it’ll be fine. We’ll still get out of here and it’ll be fine,” Emma said, nodding as if that would make things better. “And we’ll get to Storybrooke and everything will work out.” After a moment’s thought, she grabbed her bags. “Come on, let’s go get a burger and then we’ll come back here,” she said. Henry nodded and stood up, putting his game into his backpack before following her. Absently, she checked her phone again. 40%. She would need to charge it when they got back, especially if they were still waiting.

When they came back, Emma’s jaw dropped. The leather-clad asshole from earlier was now sitting in what had been her armchair with cords snaking out from both outlets into his own devices.

“Hey! We were sitting there,” she said, walking up to him. The man glanced up, removing his headphones.

“Ay, lass, and then you left,” he replied in a lilting Irish accent. “The spot was free for the taking, and I needed the outlets.”

“But I—” Emma started, then threw up her arms. The evening couldn’t possibly get worse.

Twenty minutes later, it was impossible to see out the windows, due to the whiteout conditions from the raging blizzard.

An announcement came on across the airport, informing everyone that all flights were being grounded for the time being, and that guests could either get new tickets for the morning or wait it out. The blizzard was supposed to pass through quickly, but no one knew exactly how long they would be there.

If Emma didn’t know better, she would say her Christmas was cursed.

With a loud groan, she settled back into the seat opposite the armchair, still glaring daggers at the man across from her. He didn’t seem to notice, or maybe didn’t care. He just kept listening to his stupid music with his stupid Bluetooth headphones and his stupid leather clothing.

Henry had returned to his game, blissfully unaware of his mother’s growing annoyance.

“You know what? Let’s get out of here,” she said suddenly, tapping Henry on the arm. “We’re clearly not getting out of here tonight. We should just go home and have Christmas with ourselves, like we always do, and maybe we’ll get to Storybrooke for New Years.” She picked up her bag. “Or Easter,” she added as an afterthought. There was less potential for a blizzard then.

Henry frowned, but dutifully stood up and packed up his backpack again. Their hot chocolates were long gone, and her phone was now at 20%. This was the worst Christmas ever.

“Excuse me?” she heard from behind her. Emma turned, arching an eyebrow at the seat-stealer.

“What?” she snapped, hardly caring that she was being impolite.

The man didn’t flinch. “I couldn’t help but overhear. You’re not leaving the airport, are you?” he asked.

“Not that it’s any of your business,” Emma said, “but yes. It’s not like the airport isn’t giving free replacement tickets.

“It’s a bloody blizzard out there,” the man answered, rising to his feet. “I wouldn’t want to go out in that, especially not with a kid.” He nodded at Henry.

“Again, not really your business,” replied Emma, more warily this time. He did have a point, though, she thought, as she glanced out the window. Their apartment wasn’t exactly close to the airport, and by the time they got their tickets exchanged and their bags from the carousel, it would be quite late. She sighed. “But fair enough. I guess we’ll just wait it out.”

Henry was glancing between the two of them, and at Emma’s nod, he sat down again. Emma sat down next to him.

“Storybrooke, then?” The man asked after several moments of silence. Emma gave a mute nod, wondering why he was still talking to her. “I’m off to New York, myself.”

“Then why are you at this gate?” she asked, raising her head and staring across at him.

“There weren’t any free outlets over there. To be honest, I have to admit I was stalking this one, and when the two of you left, well…” he shrugged, spreading his arms out.

Emma rolled her eyes. “Right,” she answered, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees.

“Did you need to plug anything in? I think I’m good now,” he said, arching an eyebrow at her. Reluctantly, hating that it was on his terms, Emma nodded and dug around in her bag for the charging cord for her phone, then walked across to the (free) chair next to him.

“Thanks,” she said simply, sitting with her legs together, pointed away from him.

“I’m Killian, by the way. Killian Jones.”

Darn it. Now she had to introduce herself too. “Emma Swan.”

“And the boy?”

“What are you, some kind of real stalker?” she asked, glancing at him sharply.

“Not a chance. Just a poor traveler, looking for some kind of distraction now that the planes are grounded,” he replied, shrugging.

Emma sighed. “That’s my son, Henry. We were, ah, going to see my parents for Christmas. In Storybrooke.” There. Now the ball was back in his court, and he could either share a bit of his story, or risk being the impolite one again.

“Alas, I have no real story to my plans. I’m only going to New York because it seemed like an interesting place to be for the holidays,” Killian answered.

Emma turned to look at him properly. He was quite handsome, she realized with a start, with striking blue eyes. She wasn’t really one to date, liking to keep it to just her and Henry. The father wasn’t in the picture, and she preferred it that way. He hadn’t been that great of a boyfriend, anyway.

He gave her a lopsided grin, and she realized she had been staring. Emma glanced down at her lap, fighting the heat in her cheeks.

“What do you think the chances are of us actually getting out of here?” she asked after a moment.

Killian shrugged. “I’d say quite slim. But it is Christmas. Maybe there’ll be some kind of miracle,” he replied. Emma must have pulled a face, because he chuckled. “What, you don’t believe in miracles?”

“No,” she answered, shrugging. “Never have.” That was a lie. It had been a miracle when she had found her birth parents after seventeen long years in the system. It had been a miracle when Henry had been born completely healthy. And it was a miracle she wasn’t pulling her hair out at the roots with how stressful this Christmas was getting. But she wasn’t about to admit any of that to a complete stranger. “Do you?”

“I’ve learned in life that sometimes you just have to put in a little faith,” Killian replied. He fiddled with a ring on his finger, and despite herself, Emma’s gaze dropped to where she could see multiple rings. “It’s not easy, though.”

“I’ll say,” she mumbled, glancing across at Henry to make sure he was still fine.

They fell quiet again, Emma tapping away at a game on her phone while Killian went back to his music. After a while, he stood.

“Maybe this is crazy, since we don’t know each other, but could you watch my things? I’ll just be a moment.” He gave her a hopeful grin, and Emma nodded. He then turned and walked off. Emma couldn’t help but notice he walked with a swagger to his step. She tore her gaze away, staring at a fixed spot on the floor instead for a moment before returning to Candy Crush.

After a while, Killian returned, holding a tray with three Starbucks cups. “I hope hot chocolate is okay for your boy?” he asked, gesturing to the smallest of the three cups.

Emma’s eyes widened. “You didn’t have to—”

“I wanted to. My treat. An apology for the theft of your spot,” he said quickly. “I didn’t know what you would like, but I figured maybe a mocha? I saw you were eating a chocolate bar earlier.”

Her heart swelled despite itself and she let out a small sigh. “You’re too kind. Thanks.” She raised her voice. “Hey, kid. Want some hot chocolate?” Henry glanced up and nodded, and she pointed at Killian.

“Just one moment,” he said, setting the tray down on the chair. Then he put one hand awkwardly on the tray, holding it down while he lifted the smallest cup out and handed it over to Henry. Henry sniffed at the cup and grinned, taking a sip. Killian then pulled out the second cup in the same curious manner, handing it to Emma before finally taking out his own cup and setting it on the floor before picking up the tray and setting it to the side.

She sipped at the coffee. “Again, thanks,” she said, smiling. Killian shook his head.

“It was the least I could do,” he said, leaning back in his chair.

Conversation came more easily after that. Emma learned that Killian had moved to America as a teenager, and now was a detective in Seattle. She had to marvel at how their paths had never crossed, since she was a cop, but figured they were in different districts. In turn, she shared (very little of) her own story, leaving out the sadder details. He didn’t need to know that she had been abducted as an infant and then abandoned at a fire station but telling him that Henry had been born when she was seventeen didn’t feel as sob-story-worthy. The whole time she was talking, she couldn’t help but notice that he was fully engrossed in what she was saying. He was a good listener, nodding and humming, but never interrupting.

Eventually, another announcement rang out over the buzzing airport. The storm wasn’t letting up, so the airport was closing. All travelers were to get their tickets exchanged. Emma let out a long groan, tipping her head back.

“This sucks,” she moaned, wallowing in her misery for just a moment before collecting herself and rising to her feet. To his credit, Killian was trying not to laugh.

“I’m sorry you won’t get to see your family for Christmas,” he said after a moment, shrugging. “At least you and your son are still together, though.”

It was strangely sweet, and Emma glanced across at Henry who had dozed off at some point. “Yeah, you have a point,” she said, smiling softly. Then a thought struck her and she turned back to look at Killian again. “Where’s your family?”

“Not in the picture,” he replied simply. “It’s just me.”

Emma frowned. “So you weren’t joking when you said you’re just going to New York for the sake of it?” she asked, thinking immediately that it was probably an insensitive question.

“No,” he replied, and to her relief he chuckled a little. “There’s no ties for me to New York.”

“I see,” she replied, although she didn’t know exactly what she saw in it.

She woke up Henry and the three of them (when had it become the three of them?) started making their way to where they could get their tickets exchanged. As they walked, Emma glanced up at a clock.

“It’s 11:30,” she commented. Killian looked over at her, while Henry kept walking almost in a daze.

“Almost Christmas,” he said. Emma nodded. Killian got a strange look in his eyes.

“What?” Emma asked, arching an eyebrow. The man simply shook his head and continued walking.

After a long wait in line, Killian let Emma step up to the counter first, and she managed the smallest polite smile at the agent.

“Would you like to rebook or receive compensation?” he asked.

Emma took a moment to think about it. “Rebook, please. Sometime tomorrow, if possible?” When asked for her destination, she gave a more genuine smile. “Storybrooke.”

The tickets were rung up, and she was handed a booklet of vouchers for the night. She and Henry weren’t leaving until around 4pm, so they had time to get some rest. With one last look back at Killian as he stepped up to the counter after her, Emma guided a practically sleepwalking Henry away.

She paused.

She turned back to the man she had just met.

“Why don’t you come to Storybrooke, instead?” What was she saying? “There isn’t as much to do, but the hotel will be cheaper and it’s a beautiful little town.” Why was she inviting him to come with her? “What do you say?”

He regarded her with a long, curious look before finally nodding. “Sounds fine, lass.” Then he turned to the counter and got his tickets changed over.

Emma knew she should be getting Henry to the airport hotel, but instead she hovered, twisting her hands together. When Killian was finished, he turned to her.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, I suppose?” he asked, an eyebrow raised.

Emma nodded. “See you,” she replied, turning and walking off with her son.

= = = = =

The next afternoon, Emma and Henry returned to the airport. Henry had his new handheld gaming console to play with, and they passed through security without a hitch.

Upon reaching their gate, Emma peered around until Henry lifted his eyes from his game. “He’s over there, Mom,” he said, pointing. Emma followed his gaze and found Killian in the crowd. He was engrossed in some book, and she smiled as she led Henry over.

“Merry Christmas,” she said, sitting in the seat beside him and holding out a coffee.

Killian looked up, grinning that lopsided grin. “Merry Christmas,” he answered, putting his book down and taking the coffee from her, murmuring a quick thank you. “No delays yet, and the weather looks clear.” He winked, and Emma glanced down at her lap. The shirt he was wearing today had a lower neckline than the one from the night before, and she could see tiny curls of chest hair. God.

“Good,” she said simply. Easy conversation followed while she sipped at her hot chocolate until there was an announcement that preboarding for their flight would start soon. At that, Killian looked up.

“I nearly forgot,” he murmured, bending over and reaching into his bag with one hand. Emma’s brows furrowed in confusion, giving way to wonder on her face as he pulled out first one, then another small wrapped gift.

“What are you doing?” Emma asked, folding her hands on her lap.

Killian glanced over at her. “I picked up something small for you and the lad this morning. As a thank you, for giving me something interesting to look forward to this Christmas, rather than the hustle and bustle of a large city,” he explained.

Emma felt heat rising in her cheeks. She hadn’t gotten anything for him. “You didn’t have to…” she said, trailing off.

“But I did,” he replied, passing the smaller gift to her. Emma slowly unwrapped it, finding a small porcelain figurine of a swan. She blushed fully then, glancing at him.

“Killian…” she murmured, a grin tugging at the corners of her lips.

“I figured it suited you, given your name,” he answered, arching that eyebrow again. She had known him for less than twenty-four hours and she already loved when he did that.

To distract herself, Emma turned to Henry. “Killian has something for you,” she said.

Henry sat up straighter. “More hot chocolate?” he asked. Emma grinned and shook her head.

“No, this,” she replied, taking the other gift from Killian and handing it over.

Henry beamed, opening it quickly. “Cool!” he announced, holding up an action figure from one of the recent action movies. Emma didn’t quite know exactly who it was, but she was sure from Henry’s reaction that he recognized it. “Thanks!”

She swelled with pride at his politeness, then turned back to Killian. “Thank you,” she echoed her son, smiling fondly at him. “Despite how we met, I think you kept this from being a miserable Christmas for us.”

Killian smiled back at her. “Always glad to be of service,” he answered, just as general boarding began for their flight.

Unfortunately, while Emma and Henry were at the front of the economy class section, Killian was near the back of the plane, so their conversation ended once they got on the plane. But Emma wasn’t worried. She was sure there would be plenty of more interesting conversations to come once they arrived in Storybrooke.

She almost wanted to thank that blizzard.

Almost.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so it was a little less "enemies" and a little more "this guy annoys me". And we can all imagine that what happens next is a nice little romance between Emma and Killian but I wanted to keep it contained to the airport in this fic.
> 
> Fun fact: A lot of situations in this fic have happened to me in airports, although I sadly didn't have a Killian to make things better
> 
> Thanks again to @cssecretsanta2019 on tumblr for hosting this amazing event!


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